Modality and modal Verbs

Modal verbs
Here are the main verbs we use to express modal meanings:
Core modal verbs: can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should, must
Semi-modals: dare, need, ought to, used to
Other verbs with modal meanings: have (got) to, be going to and be able to

Should
What is ideal or desired
We use should most commonly to talk about what is the ideal or best thing to do in a situation:
There should be more public hospitals.
They should reduce the price of petrol. It’s so expensive.

SHOULD Advice and suggestions
We often use should to give advice and make suggestions:
You should tell him what you think.
We should leave it until tomorrow; it’s late now.

SHOULD What is likely to happen
We also use should to talk about what is likely to happen:
Shall we start? Luke’s delayed but he says he should be here in ten minutes.
There should be a very big crowd at the party. Mary has so many friends.

Should and would
Formal
I/We should love to meet her again if I/we had a chance
I should think that a lot of people will be interested.
Neutral
I/We would love to meet her again if I/we had a chance.
I would think that a lot of people will be interested.

Should (Collins)
You use should when you are saying what would be the right thing to do or the right state for something to be in.
I should exercise more.
The diet should be maintained unchanged for about a year.
He's never going to be able to forget it. And I don't think he should.
Sometimes I am not as brave as I should be.
Should our children be taught to swim at school?
Should can be used with the main verb after certain set expressions such as, it is a pity that, it is odd that, I am sorry/surprised that. This is a more formal use than the same expression without should.
It’s a pity that this should happen.
I was quite surprised that he should be doing a job like that.

CAN General truths
We use can to talk about things which we think are usually, but not always, true:
Reducing cholesterol through diet can be difficult. (It’s not always difficult for everyone, but in general it is difficult.)
Fireworks can frighten pets.
Swans can be very vicious.
We don’t normally use could to talk about what we believe to be true in the present.

Compare CAN / COULD
Exercise can help reduce stress
.Exercise could help reduce stress.
Finding a hotel in August can be difficult.
Finding a hotel in August could be difficult.
I believe this is a general truth or fact
I see this only as a possibility.
I believe this is a general truth or fact based on my experience or knowledge.
I see this only as a possibility.

Can: typical errors
We write cannot as one word:
Not: The children can not be left unsupervised …
We use could, not can, to talk about ability in the past.
They could see a light on in the house as they drove past at 10 pm.
Not: They can see a light on in the house …

Can, could or may?
Possibility
When we talk about possibility, we use can, could and may, but they are different in meaning.

Compare
It can be dangerous to cycle in the city.
It could/may be dangerous to cycle in the city.
It’s dangerous to cycle in the city.
This expresses what the speaker believes is a general truth or known fact, or a strong possibility
This does not express a general truth. The speaker is only expressing a weak possibility.
This expresses a real fact using the present simple. The speaker is certain and no modality is used.

Macmillan

Macmillan MAY/ MIGHT

Macmillan SHOULD

Macmillan WILL

Might: uses
We use might most often to refer to weak possibility:
I might go to Japan for a month to study Japanese.
The dog might bark when we pass by the gate.
They might not like very hot food.

MIGHT Suggestions
We can use might to give advice or make a suggestion sound more polite or less direct, especially when used together with like, prefer or want:
[A waiter politely suggesting a dessert to a customer.]
You might like to try one of our wonderful desserts.

WILL general truths
Will is used to describe something the speaker thinks is generally true:
Do you think they should try and make it easier for people to complain?
B:
No, cos some people will always complain. (cos = because in informal speech)

WILL habitual events
We use will to refer to events that happen often:
[talking about a younger sister, Celia, who doesn’t eat properly; she refers to Celia]
Celia will start to get upset if she has to eat cabbage or meat like chicken breast. My mum will say, ‘Just try it’. And she’ll start shaking her head and going, ‘No. I don’t want to’. Mum will put it near her mouth and she’ll start to cough.

Building a green economy could stop ‘nightmare’ degradation of Amazon
The Amazon will be transformed into a “highly degraded nightmare” unless a sustainable biodiversity-based economy develops which properly values ecosystem services and products produced by the rainforest, a leading scientist has warned.
Prof Thomas Lovejoy, the “godfather of biodiversity”, said if agro-industrial economic developments such as cattle farming, palm oil production and mining continue, the rainforest’s hydrological cycle will be “in tatters”, with global weather systems severely disrupted.
Turning this around will require an innovative green economy which monetises the food, medicines, aquaculture and climate regulation the forest provides, said Lovejoy, a senior fellow at the United Nations Foundation and president of the Amazon Biodiversity Centre.
To monetise – to make money from sth (UK specialised finance)

US intelligence chief: we might use the internet of things to spy on you
The US intelligence chief has acknowledged for the first time that agencies might use a new generation of smart household devices to increase their surveillance capabilities.
As increasing numbers of devices connect to the internet and to one another, the so-called internet of things promises consumers increased convenience – the remotely operated thermostat from Google-owned Nest is a leading example. But as home computing migrates away from the laptop, the tablet and the smartphone, experts warn that the security features on the coming wave of automobiles, dishwashers and alarm systems lag far behind.
“In the future, intelligence services might use the [internet of things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials,” Clapper said.

Should Pearson, a giant multinational, be influencing our education policy?
How great an influence over education policymaking can and should a private organisation have? That is the question being asked by some, as a debate growing increasingly acrimonious in the US seems poised to cross the Atlantic.
Pearson, the giant London-based multinational, is the world's largest education firm as well as running Penguin books and the Financial Times. Attention is now focusing on its seemingly ever-growing influence on English school life.
"At what point do conflicts of interest arise? Is it acting in the best interests of students, of the nation, or of its own business? These are questions that must be raised and answered."

Earth 'will expire by 2050'
Earth's population will be forced to colonise two planets within 50 years if natural resources continue to be exploited at the current rate, according to a report out this week.
Using the image of the need for mankind to colonise space as a stark illustration of the problems facing Earth, the report warns that either consumption rates are dramatically and rapidly lowered or the planet will no longer be able to sustain its growing population.
Experts say that seas will become emptied of fish while forests - which absorb carbon dioxide emissions - are completely destroyed and freshwater supplies become scarce and polluted.

Earth Day 2020 could mark the year we stop taking the planet for granted
Fifty years ago today, the first Earth Day was marked in the United States as a peaceful call for environmental reform, following a massive oil spill off the coast of California. Half a century later, this annual day unites millions across the globe, drawing attention to the huge challenges facing our planet.
We are in an age of extinction and at the point where irreversible environmental damage could be wrought. Despite changed plans, we cannot afford to lose pace nor focus. The challenge of the biodiversity and climate crises will still be there when the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted; the ambition of COP15 and COP26 must be carried forward and built upon in 2021.
Right now, it may be hard not to feel despondent but there are shoots of optimism. After the lockdowns, we may may see greater appreciation for nature in many countries around the world. From China to Spain, people of all ages are missing what they did not know they would miss until they could not have it: craving open spaces; realising the wellbeing and health benefits of accessing nature; and, in many countries, missing the blossoming of spring.

The scientist's dilemma: can you be a parent, a partner, a friend and a Scientist?
There’s a popular perception that some careers just don’t dovetail well with family life. We expect our politicians, doctors and police officers to be on call 24/7.
But what about research scientists? Does the pursuit of a eureka moment have to mean pulling all-nighters in the laboratory and prioritising work above all other commitments?

Gendered toys could deter girls from career in engineering
One of the world’s largest engineering institutions is warning against gender stereotyping of toys in the run-up to Christmas amid concern it could be discouraging girls from pursuing a career in engineering and technology.
Mamta Singhal, a toy engineer and IET spokeswoman, said she had traditional “girls’ toys” as a child but also loved playing with cars, building blocks and creative kits. “The research shows girls clearly do have an interest in science, technology and engineering subjects at school so we need to find ways to help this to translate into a higher number of women entering the industry.
“The toy industry is changing slowly and over the years more gender-neutral toys such as science kits have started appearing. Toys can really influence what a child does in later years, therefore Stem toys are a natural move for the industry.”

Shepard Smith leaves Fox News with hope that 'facts will win the day'
A Fox News spokesperson denied such claims, saying they were “entirely false and wildly inaccurate”.
Smith said he would not be reporting elsewhere for the time being.
“Even in our currently polarized nation,” he concluded, “it is my hope that the facts will win the day, that the truth will always matter, that journalism and journalists will thrive.”
Carl Cameron, a longtime former reporter at Fox, pointed to other news anchors seen as more independent of the pro-Trump line when he told the Associated Press: “The news department has just taken a huge hit with the loss of Shep. For journalists like Chris Wallace and Bret Baier, it’s going to get even harder.”
Neil Cavuto, who anchors the broadcast following Smith‘s, looked shocked after his colleague made the announcement.
“Whoa,” Cavuto said. “Like you, I’m a little stunned.”